


Who Keeps the Keeper

by classysleuth



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Dick Grayson is Batman, Gen, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27567991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/classysleuth/pseuds/classysleuth
Summary: Overburdened by the loss of his father, Dick's old team tries to lighten his load.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Teen Titans
Comments: 15
Kudos: 61
Collections: Dick Grayson Fic Exchange 2020





	1. Tempest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HuiLian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HuiLian/gifts).



For the first time since he’d put on Bruce’s legacy Dick felt almost peaceful.

Sitting on the hull of the Batstrike in an amiable silence with Garth, lazily tossing fish to the merfolk they’d teamed up to rescue from a trafficking ring run out of the Gotham Aquarium, basking in the satisfaction of having a case that felt so much of simpler times, feeling the gentle rocking of the boat, and since they were so far from Gotham Dick was getting to enjoy the warmth of the sun on the Bat suit in contrast to the chill in the air around him.

With his eyes closed he could remember the way he’d imagined the future, back when they'd been the Titans. That they'd all replace their mentors and it would feel right. Wearing the Batman suit felt more comfortable than wearing the Robin costume.

Bruce was doing that half smile of his telling Dick he was pro-

Jerking to awareness Dick took a moment to discreetly glance at Garth to see if he’d noticed.

After the last meeting of the Justice League Donna had voiced concerns about Dick’s abilities to handle Bruce’s roles. Even though she’d voiced those concerns to him in private. Even though Dick knew she was worried for him. Her concerns still felt like a judgment and if she was actually proven right that they’d come with a sentence Dick wouldn’t be able to handle.

Dick had no doubt Garth would tell Donna about any “problems” Dick was having.

Dick shook his head trying to dislodge the paranoia settling in on him. Garth was still just watching the mer swimming merrily around them. If Garth had seen that Dick had fallen asleep he wouldn’t question Dick because there wasn’t anything to question. Dick was fine.

“Are they alright with us feeding them like this?” All Dick needed was a conversation to focus on and it wasn’t like he hadn’t been curious when Garth had suggested feeding the rescued mer in the first place.

Garth’s expression when he turned to look at Dick was almost knowing. Dick’s breath caught in his chest.

“Mer do share many physical similarities to both humans and Atanteans, sadly, sentience isn’t one of them. They’re more similar in nature to dolphins.” Judging form a few of the looks Garth was getting from the mer, Dick had a suspicion that wasn't entirely true. Dick could breathe again so he wasn’t going to argue about Atantean prejudices, when he knew so little on the subject and the mer did seem to be enjoying themselves.

“Where was...your sidekick last night?” Garth said with the lack of finesse for subject changes and topics of heavy nature that Dick usually appreciated. This time Garth’s tone made Dick’s insides crawl. Dick didn’t understand why Garth had stumbled over saying Robin, it wasn’t like Dick was still hung up over being replaced, of not being good enough for Bruce.

“Damian had an altercation at school with one of his teachers,” Dick smiled as he spoke letting in a touch of exasperation,” as per our agreement no Robin for a week.” Garth should understand about the agreement, back in the day it was the same one Bruce had with Dick. Except in this case it wasn’t a school teacher Damian had the altercation with.

Was it just two nights ago, Damian and Dick or more importantly Batman and Robin, had a nearly public blowout when Commissioner Gordon had asked Dick's opinion on contacting the Red Hood for information on something drug related. Dick couldn’t even remember the details other than the indignation on Robin’s face when he discovered Dick hadn’t had Jason locked away in Arkham without a key. Dick had been proud when Damian had made it to the Batmobile before blowing up.

Dick could still hear how righteous Damian sounded when he informed Dick, that Dick should be grateful Damian wasn’t going to Arkham to make sure Jason couldn't be used as a threat against them.

There was one good thing to come from the whole mess. While Damian wasn’t talking to Dick by the next morning, Dick heard Damian complaining to Tim's voicemail about Dick’s stupidity. The messages weren’t as bad as Dick had expected and the final that Dick had heard was, “come and make him see reason, you coward.”

Dick was holding onto the slim hope the boys would out their differences by using him as the common antagonist. The tactic hadn’t worked with Dick and Jason, then they weren’t Damian and Tim.

Garth didn’t need to know any of that.

Garth smiled and Dick could hear the fondness in his voice as he spoke. “Yes, you were always having that problem because you didn’t want to show your work in mathematics.” Among other things, Dick had spent a lot of time making sure the Titans thought he was the perfect leader he’d been trying to be at the time.

Dick gave Garth a smug smile and a shrug, "Bruce kept saying there was a time I wasn’t going to be able to do all the calculations in my head. Still hasn’t happened.”

Garth nodded, thoughtful. “My teachers said the same, of magic. What of Tim? Did he take over for you in your old city?”

“No.” Dick kept himself still as he answered with as much casualness in his voice as he could muster,”Tim’s training.” This was one lie Dick didn’t even know was a lie, more like it was an impossible hope.

Dick could feel the weight of Garth’s hand resting on his shoulder, giving Dick a light squeeze. “We all grieve differently. You remember how I was when Tula died. When Arthur-”

Dick stood as he spoke letting Garth’s hand off his shoulder," I think your friends have moved on. I have a meeting this afternoon I need to prepare for.”

There was a moment of unbearable silence were Garth looked up at Dick with an expression Dick couldn’t read and Dick didn’t want to leave without...he didn’t even know what he was waiting for: Garth’s permission, a better note to end on, anything other than the shared dead mentor conversation Garth wanted to have, that Dick couldn’t have. Not until the farce of Bruce Wayne still being alive was over, then Dick could start those conversations with everyone.

Dick could imagine how emotionally charged that Titans meeting would be with half their mentors having returned from the dead in recent years. There wasn’t ever going to be a time in Dick’s life for that conversation.

“A pity I was hoping to hear the mer sing.” Dick sagged in relief from Garth’s reply, “Can’t you hear them whenever you want too?”

Garth took in the waters where the mer had been playing, “The music is different underwater. I have a few recordings if you’d like to hear them.”

“Next time you're in Gotham you should bring them. Damian would love to hear them.”


	2. Troia

Something was familiar about Jason’s psychiatrist's smile. The thought circled around in Dick’s mind as he exited the Arkham facility moving towards the parking lot.

Doctor Harleen Quinzel had been practicing at Arkham for several years with slightly more success than the majority of the other psychiatrists in Arkham. A few of her cases were similar to Jason’s or comparatively similar, even in Gotham wealthy billionaire playboys dead wards usually didn’t return as crime bosses, those successes were the reason Commissioner Gordon recommended her to Dick. Dick Grayson standing in for Bruce Wayne billionaire playboy rather than Dick Grayson standing in for Bruce Wayne Batman. He'd given Dick several examples of how she’d assisted the police, as a special favor the Commissioner had even allowed Dick to interview a few of her patients.

Other than a brief time working with the Joker she hadn’t been involved with any high profile cases. Dick didn’t find any evidence in Bruce’s files that Batman had even interviewed her for a case. Nightwing certainly hadn’t. He wasn’t even sure he’d seen her in passing when he’d gone to Arkham as Nightwing, except he’d seen her smile before.

If Bruce had recorded an opinion on her Dick would have felt more sure of himself when he selected her. Dick knew there was no reason to doubt her. Barbara had even taken time out of her surgery preparations to do a background check on Doctor Quinzel for him. That and the Commissioner’s recommendation should have been enough.

During his interviews with her, Doctor Quinzel, was perfect. Out of all the Doctors he’d interviewed for Jason she was the only one who wouldn’t budge on not letting Dick see Jason until they’d set up the proper ground work, even in the face of the Wayne fortune. She was also the one who’d referred to Dick and Jason as Mr. Wayne’s sons as opposed to wards, and was encouraging about Dick considering them brothers.

In the end those were the reasons Dick had picked her for Jason because she did see them as a family. Jason needed a psychiatrist who had that viewpoint of their situation.

Her smile, though, it clicked with information in his brain he couldn’t place. The way Doctor Quinzel would push him to have Bruce come or question why Bruce wasn’t coming, there was a look in her eye that Dick would have considered satisfaction if not for the way she was telling him why his father should be there.

Dick stuffed his hands in his coat’s pockets as he approached the car, trying to hide the shaking from Donna when she saw him.

All his suspicions towards Doctor Quinzel were misdirection from what he didn’t want to think about. Dick’s first visit with Jason hadn’t gone well.

Dick clenched his fist to focus on anything other than his feelings, whatever they were. Doctor Quinzel had mentioned Dick should be seeing a psychiatrist as well. He’d considered returning to the one he’d been using during his time with the Titans except Dick had no time with: Batman, the Justice League, Damian, Tim, and Jason.

If Dick had been going he wasn’t sure it would have prepared him for Jason.

“Bad visit,” Donna commented as she placed her book beside her on the hood of her car. Doctor Quinzel had suggested Dick bring someone along with him for the first visit because in her professional words it was going to be rough. She’d understated the situation.

Dick nodded mutely before slipping into the passenger seat making sure his hands were in his pockets before Donna got into the vehicle. The effort was wasted because he wasn’t talking and even if Donna hadn’t been one of his oldest friends she could see how much of a mess he was.

This was all why he shouldn’t have asked her to come. The conversation a few months ago about her concerns echoed in his head but he needed someone. Alfred had to take care of Damian. Barbara and her father were overseas for her operation. Dick and Stephanie didn’t have that type of relationship. The rest of the Titans didn’t need to be involved with his baggage.

There was just Donna. If this ended up costing him Bruce’s place on the Justice League, he wasn’t going to care at the moment.

“Thanks for coming,” Dick sounded rougher than he should have. Jason had been doing all of the shouting at the meeting. Dick clenched his fist again. He should be telling Donna about how he was feeling about the meeting, about what Jason had said. This wasn’t his first-Dick wasn’t having a breakdown. He couldn’t be having a breakdown, yet.

All he had to do was wait for Bruce’s funeral...whenever that was going to be. He’d been planning it for when Barbara’s surgery was finished, that would be plenty of time for the connection between Batman and Bruce to cool. Tim would come despite his feelings about Dick. Now with Jason in the mix and after today...Dick didn’t know if-when Jason would be safe to be around any of them.

“I’m glad you asked me to.” Donna shot him a warm smile before flipping down the driver's seat visor. “This is Terry’s car so we’ll have to suffer through his CD collection. I don’t think even Euterpe’s blessings could help the bands he’s into.”

Dick hadn’t even noticed they had driven to Arkham in Terry’s car. Looking around it was more than obvious this wasn’t Donna’s car. Paperwork in mostly Greek was littering every inch of the backseat including the child’s seat. Even without that in the cup holder was a tumbler with some slogan about “My wife being an actual goddess” in Greek that Dick knew he wasn’t getting the full translation to. Dick had picked up most of his Greek second hand from Donna.

“Oh, the kids’ Disney CDs are still in here, not just Hercules. Terry’s been driving Robert to soccer practice.”

The ride to Arkham Dick had been going over Jason’s case with Donna with what he’d thought was cautious optimism. Now he knew he’d been grossly optimistic. He should have known better, with their relationship before all this.

“Would you be interested in...Cinderella?”

Dick shook his head in reply to Donna’s question. “Sleeping Beauty I’m surprised that one’s here, it’s Robert’s favorite. You should see how angry it makes Diana whenever she hears anything from it. Robert has a blast. He’s always telling me ‘see mommy Aunt Diana isn’t as perfect as you.’”

It was kind of nice sitting here listening to Donna talk about her family, not having to process anything about his.

“How are Terry and the kids?”

Donna turned from her overly casual perusing of the CDs to give Dick a full once over. Her lips turned down at the corners with concern. Dick hadn’t looked so bad this morning when she’d picked him up. He’d done his best to look fully together for her and for Jason. Didn’t last.

“We haven’t had time to talk about them with all the League business.” The smile Dick gave her was weak but it was sincere. He did actually want to know about what she’d been up to the last few months, for reasons more than wanting to keep his thoughts occupied.

“Robert has found the girl he’s going to marry.”

* * *

The trip from Arkham to the penthouse wasn’t long in the Batmobile or Terry’s car, though Dick chalked it up to Donna being heavier on the gas than he was. It was enough time Dick’s hands had stopped shaking. He wasn’t ready to go over his meeting with Jason with anyone for now. The darker thoughts he’d been having had cleared up with Donna’s recounting of Robert’s wild elementary school romance. Dick had almost told her the whole affair sounded like a G version of Bruce and his villainess of the day.

“I’m not sure who was more surprised with Terry finishing his book before the deadline. Terry, his editor, myself, or Clio.” Donna said as she turned off the car. “Maybe Diana threatened Apollo to assist her sister’s poor husband.”

Donna laughed. “I’ve met Apollo once and it was enough to know punctuality isn’t one of his gifts. Besides he wouldn’t be able to stand Terry’s taste in the arts.”

Dick opened his month to continue but closed it as Donna shot him a mock glare. “Don’t say anymore. The League has enough enemies, we don’t need to add an offended Olympian to the mix. “

That got Dick smiling more than it should have. “That would be a step up from Circe.”

Donna shook her head at him in disapproval, “Your probably already on her list.”

“She’s heard Bruce sing, I’m not going to match that.” Dick hadn’t meant to say that at all. The words had just slipped off his tongue as if Bruce were back in the manor and not-

“Dick.” Donna’s voice was firm dragging his attention away from... This was why he didn’t want to talk about Bruce. Freaking out over some banter. For the briefest of moments he was grateful Tim wasn’t around. Seeing Dick like this after everything with Jason would shatter Tim more than he already was.

“I’m fine.” Now was the time to leave before she called him on his obvious lie. Dick moved to exit the car, stopping when Donna tugged on his hand, not hard just enough to know she wasn’t going to let him go.

“Before you leave I wanted to talk to you about Jason.” Dick was thrown enough by her comment, he made eye contact with her. All he could see in her eyes was earnestness, she didn’t look like she was about to spring a trap on him.

“I know you live a few cities over. I’m not expecting you to show up for everyone of these meetings.” Having Donna coming with him had always been a one-time request. He’d been considering asking Alfred, but after today, next time Dick was going to drive himself. He’d have to plan the next visit around Alfred’s schedule with enough time to compose himself before Damian returned from school.

“If it were an inconvenience for me Terry would come.”

“I know.” Dick gave her a lopsided smile, thoughts of how ridiculous being driven to Arkham by Terry would be, helped add more spirit to this smile than a few of his previous ones. Asking Donna had been hard enough.

Donna’s smile was encouraging as she squeezed his hand.

“I was wondering if you would let me visit Jason?” Everything went still. Dick couldn’t feel Donna’s fingers on top of his anymore, he couldn’t hear her telling him how she’d been impressed with Jason when he’d been on her team and how they bonded, he couldn’t feel anything other than the terror of knowing Donna, anyone, he cared about was anywhere near Jason.

“No.” Dick pulled his hand away from hers. He was disoriented enough to try and get away from her as fast as possible. Banging his back against the wall unsettling everything around him for a moment.

After everything Dick had told her, she still didn’t understand what Jason was right now.

“No,” Dick couldn’t tell if his volume had changed because Donna didn’t look anything other than calm. “You know what he’s done to Bruce, Tim, and Damian. That’s not including all the other people he’s-”

“What about you, Dick?” Dick blinked, not understanding the question, Donna kept changing the conversation. This was about keeping people safe and fixing Jason. What did his relationship with Jason have to do with that?

“You never told me, what happened to you during the Red Hood’s rampage.” Donna said watching him with alertness as if she expected-Dick didn’t even know.

“Nothing happened to me. Jason was targeting Bruce. Tim, Tim got caught in the crossfire.” Just like Jason when Dick had been going after Bruce. Everything slipped away, Dick could hear Jason shouting at him about how Dick hadn’t cared then so why now.

“What about Damian, was that about Bruce?” Dick focused on his breathing, focused on the intensity of Donna’s expression, focused on the chill that had settled around them since Donna had turned off the car. All he needed to do was say something she wanted to hear. That was all. Then whatever this was would be over.

“Tim asked to see Jason.” Donna blinked at his revelation. Dick wasn’t relieved when her focus shifted to the new information, he was too tense for that, but he could feel some of the weight on him lessen. Whatever she’d been going for she wasn’t going to push for that anymore.

“Tim contacted you.” She sounded as startled as Dick felt when he’d seen Tim’s number.

“Yeah,” everything was getting easier and easier to say now. “Damian and I had an altercation over Jason’s situation. He actually called Tim to complain about me.” Dick smiled at the thought. The more he thought about it the warmer he felt. “A week later, Tim called me asking if Jason was in Arkham. I told him yes, then Tim asked if he could see Jason.”

Even with the clipped words and the tension Dick could feel from over the phone, he’d known Tim was trying to reach out to him. After losing Robin, it had taken Dick years to even consider reaching out to Bruce. Tim was always the best of them.

“You told him no?” Dick nodded vaguely, noticing Donna’s voice had softened and her hand was hovering near his shoulder, not quite setting there.

“He hung up on me.” When Dick told Tim no he’d expected the reaction he’d gotten. Unlike the rest of them Tim had to be worked up to start an argument. If Tim had control over the situation he wouldn’t have one at all. Dick spent the next three nights leaving messages for Tim. Not any explanation because he hadn’t needed to, Tim knew why Dick had told him no. But just random things he’d seen in the day he knew Tim would have been interested in before all this. It had been all stupid, and more for Dick than Tim. Dick had just needed that connection back somehow.

“I’m sorry I brought all this up, Dick. I want you to know if you need help with Jason there are other people who want to help him. He wasn’t the social butterfly you were back as Robin. He does have some friends in the community. We both know people who have been in similar situations that could help as well.”

Donna gave him a soft smile that Dick couldn’t return. “If you need help with this we’re all here.”

“I know.”

“Act like you do, Boy Wonder.”


	3. Flash

Coming back to the manor didn’t feel like Dick had thought it would have. He’d made an effort to make sure he avoided as many familiar places as he could. Instead of coming in from the cave or the garage he’d gone in though the front door. Not that he’d never been in the foyer before. 

He could vaguely remember hiding up in the chandler during his first weeks after coming to the manor. When Alfred told the stories, he made it sound as though Dick had spent every afternoon up in the chandler before he’d started school. Not that Dick would ever contradict Alfred, he just had two memories of hiding up in the chandler, at least the one in the foyer, they both could have been from the same day. 

Bruce had been underneath the chandler, Dick could remember seeing Bruce distorted through all the different crystals, calling for Dick in that exaggerated manner adults did for children when they were playing hide and seek. His memories of why he’d been up there had long since faded, not that Dick couldn’t figure out why, he’d only had a few reason for hiding in those days, there had been tears on his cheeks and he’d covered his mouth to hide the hitch of his breathing when he realized Bruce had arrived. 

The clearest part of the memory was how ridiculous Bruce had seemed pretending like he wasn’t Batman and that Bruce hadn’t known exactly where Dick was and that Dick knew that Bruce knew where he was. Even thinking about it now made Dick smile. Dick didn’t actually remember what happened next. He’d heard about up until...until recently. For reasons unknown to either Bruce or Alfred, Dick apparently never told either of them why he’d done it, Dick had attempted to pounce on Bruce. 

They’d never told Dick if he’d actually succeed or not. Dick had assumed it was because they were afraid it would encourage him to try again. What he did know was that he’d sprained his wrist and there had been a long interview with child services. After that interview Dick wouldn’t have considered trying again even if Bruce had encouraged him, at least as Dick Grayson. Robin had always been another story.

The second memory could have been the same day or from another week all together. Dick hadn’t seen Alfred. He’d heard Alfred proclaim with a voice dripping with disappointment Dick wouldn’t be getting his dessert if he didn’t come down this instant. 

Even as he was smiling at the memories, the familiar ache/weight he wasn’t ever sure which of thinking about Bruce was starting in his chest. Dick looked away from the chandler to the rest of the room. His breathing was evening out as he counted the differences in the room from his memories. The paintings seemed to be the same ones, he couldn’t tell for sure because they were covered. The furniture was different since the shapes underneath the cloth didn’t match up with Dick’s memories of the pieces that had been in the room. The lighting was dim. No one lived here or visited here anymore.

The room didn’t feel as haunted by-memories as Dick had been worried it would have. If he didn’t look back up at the chandler, the room felt strange and forgotten. The rest of his trek through the manner was the same. Until he’d gotten to Jason’s room. 

Walking into Jason’s room was like walking back in time. When Jason had died. Bruce had the room sealed. Dick didn’t know if anyone had been inside since Jason’s return. He’d assumed Bruce would have come in here to brood, maybe even come in here to do what Dick was here to do. Just looking at the room didn’t tell Dick anything and it didn’t matter anymore what Bruce had done after finding out Jason was alive. 

Dick had to be the one to worry about Jason now. 

Looking at Jason’s bookshelves filled to the brim with almost every genre of literature available. Dick wished he’d gotten to know Jason’s taste in books a bit better.

After three hours of going through Jason’s room, Dick still wasn’t sure how Jason was going to take the idea that Dick had gone through his childhood room, no Jason was going to take this badly. He’d gotten Alfred’s list of Jason’s favorite books together in less time than Dick had expected. They’d all been on the shelf in alphabetical order, as opposed to lying around in convenient places to read like they would have been in Dick’s room when he’d been Jason’s age. Just another difference between them. 

Dick could have stopped there, he should have stopped there, but he’d wanted to find a book that Jason would connect with him, something for the two of them. Honestly, Dick wasn’t sure Jason wasn’t going to destroy every single one of the books Dick brought him. 

There had been the Hardy Boys series Dick had read with Bruce when he’d been a kid. Dick had sent the set to Jason for Christmas the year he’d found out about Jason. Dick wasn’t sure they’d work for his purpose. Jason had opened the package Dick had sent him enough to see what was inside but the package didn’t look like it had been opened enough to get a book out and he’d found it stuffed in the furthest reaches of Jason’s closet. 

They would be new material for Jason to read to liven up his stay in Arkham. That was what this was all about after all. 

After the initial visit Jason’s behavior had changed from confrontational and accusatory to sullen and quiet. Dick hadn’t been sure what to say to Jason when he wasn’t having to defend himself.

Doctor Quinzel had spent the hour before Dick’s next visit going over potential topics of interest to Jason. Dick had nodded along and asked questions even though he’d known every single one of them was a potential trigger for Jason. He couldn’t fault Doctor Quinzel for not considering family a potential trigger for Jason. Jason hadn’t been open to her about his reasons for becoming the Red Hood. Dick Grayson certainly didn’t know about the Red Hood outside of the news. He’d been pretty traumatized to find out his lost brother had been so angry with him. 

If either of them had been closer Dick could have known a safe topic to talk to Jason about. The evening before Dick had checked to see if he and Jason had shared any teachers at the Academy or even an extracurricular activity. Of course they hadn’t, it would have been funny if they had, Nightwing reforms ex-Robin with tales of their shared school experiences would have been a great story to tell whoever the next Robin was. 

On his third visit with Jason, Dick had been considering talking about the weather, a nice safe topic that could lead to a sarcastic reply, instead when Dick opened his mouth and mentioned Alfred’s change to his super-hero world famous soup. Jason hadn’t relaxed his posture but Dick would swear he seemed less tense. 

Dick had gone on about Alfred’s various exploits, if you could call them that, for the majority of the next two times visiting Jason. Until visit number six when Jason interrupted Dick’s long and involved story about his first time driving Alfred, to say, Alfred had never critiqued Jason when he’d been driving. Then they’d sort of had a conversation about driving that had gotten dangerously close to talking about how the Bat-mobile handled. Dick had to cut it off there. He’d been worried his personal reluctance to speak about Bruce would have shut down any later conversations with Jason. Visit number seven proved him wrong. Jason was all about talking about Alfred, too.

By visit number eleven Dick was beginning to consider there may be a limit to how much they could talk about Alfred. Jason had asked about how Barbara’s recovery had been going. 

Dick had been thrown by the question, because he didn’t remember mentioning anything about Barbara. He didn’t want to ask how Jason even knew, because it would have sounded hostile and Dick didn’t want them to back track more than they occasionally did. Jason had been stalking Dick and Tim, there wasn’t any reason to believe Barbara hadn’t also been included. The thought had shaken Dick at the time because he hadn’t even considered Jason going after her. 

Dick told Jason he would ask Barbara if she was comfortable with Jason knowing. That had been the end of visit eleven. 

Barbara had said she didn’t mind when Dick had called her later that evening. By visit number thirteen Dick still wasn’t sure if he was ready to tell Jason. It felt too much like Dick would be sharing Barbara’s weakness with a potential enemy. 

Like with picking up on Dick not wanting to talk about Bruce, Jason didn’t mention Barbara at all. Or anything outside of what Dick would bring up. That’s when Dick realized, he’d known the whole time, Jason didn’t actually have any access to the outside world other than Dick and Doctor Quinzel. 

They’d discussed in detail about how Jason wouldn’t be able to visit the common areas of the asylum. Jason being around the other inmates was dangerous for himself and them. The implications of all that had hit Dick when he realized Jason didn’t have any personal effects in the room. Dick had been in Arkham enough over the years to know that not only did everyone in Arkham have personal effects, most of them were effects they probably shouldn’t have even had in their rooms. 

Of course they’d spent all this time talking about what Dick wanted to talk about, what did Jason have to say that would have been light conversation. Dick cut the visit short. He couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d missed an obvious problem. How he’d basically forgotten Jason. He’d probably been reinforcing every messed up thought Jason had about him and...Bruce. Bruce would have known. 

Jason had actually asked if Dick was okay when Dick was making his excuses for why he needed to leave at that very moment for no actual reason than he’d been an idiot for months. 

Before he’d left the Asylum Dick had asked Doctor Quinzel if it would be possible to get Jason a television. She didn’t say no. She’d implied it may not be possible for them to monitor all of Jason’s programs for triggers. She’d told Dick she’d have a list ready for him by the next day. 

Dick couldn’t wait. He’d called Alfred. Who, Dick should have kept more in the loop about Jason. Dick just hadn’t wanted Alfred to have to be burdened with having to handle more than Damian. Alfred had to have been worried over Tim and Jason, even with Dick’s assurances, but Alfred didn’t have to be responsible for them. Dick could handle Jason. Tim was smart enough to call for help. Dick hoped Tim wasn’t too stubborn to call for help, because Dick hadn’t been able to track him since he’d left Gotham. 

The conversation had been brief, Alfred had to leave to pick up Damian soon and Dick was on the way to the manor. Alfred had suggested books. He’d texted Dick a list of Jason’s favorites from before with a warning about what Dick was in the process of doing: breaking into Jason’s old room to get the books. 

Dick wasn’t even sure knowing Bruce hadn’t thrown out all of his books would help Jason. Maybe Dick getting a better idea of younger Jason wasn’t going to even help older Jason. 

Shaking his head, Dick placed the Hardy Boys box beside the small stack of books he’d gotten for the personal touch. A well-worn copy of Robin Hood, Dick’s well worn copy of Robin Hood, he’d wondered where it had gone when he’d gotten around to moving his belongings out of the manor. A first edition of the Scarlet Pumpernickel, Dick was amused it hadn’t made the favorites list, given how much Jason had obsessed about the nightlife for his first few years. 

Dick knew he was overthinking this. Taking a box to Jason every week would be a more reasonable option. Jason was already seeing Dick three times a week more than Dick assumed he wanted to so was it necessary for them to have a special thing between them. Dick didn’t know anymore. 

A burst of static following a shift in the air around Dick had him on his feet and the knife he kept up his sleeve against the speedster’s throat. 

“Quick reflexes.” Dick blinked at Wally standing there in Jason’s room wearing his civilian clothing with a pizza in each of his hands looking more bemused then Dick had seen him in awhile. “I got to ask, were you expecting another speedster? Because if you were, Hourman isn’t going to have words with you.” 

“I wasn’t exactly expecting anyone.” Dick accused as he returned his knife, trying not to think about how extreme his reaction had been. If it had been a hostile speeder a knife wouldn’t have slowed them down. There was the twinge of suspicion Dick got when he looked at Wally. Dick didn’t care for that.

“You aren’t waiting for a librarian.” Wally looked around the room. “You want me to put these down here or do you want to move into another room. Actually do you want to go somewhere else all together because before now I wouldn’t have believed this place could get even creepier.”

I want to know why you’re here, was what Dick wanted to say, instead he pointed to Jason’s bed. “Over there should be fine. I can clean the sheets later. Try not to get any crumbs on the floor.”

“No promises.” Wally plopped down on Jason’s bed like Wally was fourteen and they were in Dick’s room rather than Jason’s. “Don’t you have Alfred for cleaning?” 

“He’s got his hands full with Damian,” Dick said absently. He turned away from Wally back to the piles of books for Jason. If Wally was here from dinner then Dick must have lost track of time. This needed to get finished before patrol. Damian was going to be displeased if he didn’t get to go out his first night after being grounded for a week. 

“Kids are like that. Not the whole murdering people thing, that’s not normal, or maybe it is. Now that the kids are wandering the neighborhood unsupervised they could be doing anything.” Dick had no idea where in the manor boxes were kept. Calling Alfred would interrupt dinner. Going out and buying some would take up time. 

“You know I have it on good authority this is your favorite pizza in Gotham and that you haven’t eaten today.” 

“Alfred ratted me out.” Dick’s attempt at teasing sounded a little more hurt than he would have liked. “Kind of. I was looking for you already.” Dick felt himself tense involuntarily. 

“Linda’s parents are wanting to have an evening to spoil the kids, Linda’s on a very important investigation that can’t be interrupted by her hubby, so I found myself a man alone. I thought why not hang out with my favorite all time Robin. We haven’t just hung out in forever.” 

Dick sighed as the tension from seeing Wally completely dissipated. This wasn’t a check up visit to see if Dick was going crazy. 

“I’m not going to be able to hang out long.” Dick said as he joined Wally on Jason’s old bed. Eating now would save some time, so why not. Dick hadn’t had pizza in what seemed like years. 

“Yeah, I figured getting to watch a movie and play games was going to be out. Too bad for you, because I’ve heard the newest Titans game is pretty awesome.” 

Dick rolled his eyes. “You aren’t even in that game so you don’t get to talk about it.” 

Wally flashed Dick a smirk over his pizza. “Iris loves Gar’s impression of you. Whenever Robin shows up she always says that’s just like Uncle Dick. I’ve also heard you’re pretty much the heartthrob of the entire preschool.” 

“That’s nothing new.” Dick said with a smirk of his own. 

Wally burst out into laughter. “I’ll let her bring you for her next show and tell. Then we’ll see how smug you are.” 

Unwinding with Wally and pizza, Dick was starting to feel pretty nostalgic. Dick was going to have to watch himself. He couldn’t afford to drift off like he had with Garth. There was too much to do for him to get too comfortable. 

“When Alfred gave me the heads up about you needing dinner. He didn’t tell me why you were here.” Wally almost sounded cautious when he spoke. 

Dick couldn’t blame him, he’d been a little tense the last few months, and the last time they’d actually spoken outside of Justice League work Dick hadn’t handled Wally’s...at the time Dick had been so sure Wally had been trying to bond over them both having to replace their dead mentors. When he’d gotten around to thinking about the conversation a few days later, when Dick should have been sleeping. 

Dick realized he’d been jealous. Wally had handled the whole transition to Flash better than Dick was handling the transition to Batman. He’d been so freaking petty. For no reason. Here Wally was walking on egg-shells around him when Wally would have never done that before all because of Dick and his issues. 

“Jason doesn’t have much to do at Arkham.” Dick couldn’t look at Wally anymore. Not because of Dick remembering his screw up, not because of that, because Wally didn’t always have the best track record with people falling off the way. Or he didn’t have the best record with Hank and Roy. 

“Arkham is a little more Gothic than Iron Highs, but books, really? I guess I can imagine they never got around to the internet, but television has been around for a while. They could spring for at least an old black and white, it would fit the aesthetic.” Dick hadn’t even felt the bed shift before he heard Wally talking behind him. 

“You have the Three Musketeers but not the Count of Monte Cristo, wasn’t that required reading for you before Bruce let you out as Robin. Creepy rich guy with underage sidekick playing the long term vengeance game. Isn't that like the Bible for you guys. Speaking of that, where is the Man in the Iron Mask?” 

Dick couldn’t help smiling as he responded. “Do you even know the plots of either of those books?” 

Wally shrugged, still going through the different piles. “I haven’t even watched the movies. Historical dramas are more of Linda’s style...and Jason’s apparently. Is this Pride and Prejudice? I have seen that one.”

“Which version.” Dick joined Wally by the books. 

“All of them.” Wally said dramatic as he shifted from Alfred’s pile to Dick’s more meager pile. Dick could feel himself tense at the attention shift. There wasn’t anyway Wally was going to deduce their significance or how that related to how much Dick knew about Jason. 

“Robin Hood, the Scarlet Pumpernickel, why was The Three Musketeers in the other pile? Are you starting to lax up with organizing because if that’s the case then I have a few ideas for the League’s filing that- Dude, is this your Hardy Boys collection?” 

Dick nodded. 

“I haven’t seen them since- You know what this reminds me of.” Wally looked directly at Dick with an intensity the situation didn’t require. 

Confused by Wally’s reaction, Dick hedged. “Book reports.”

“Yes-no, well yeah, I’d only read these for book reports, but that isn’t what I meant.” Wally jumped to his feet, not quite vibrating. Dick was missing something really obvious. 

“Remember when Donna and Garth were having trouble adjusting to life in human society.” Dick nodded again, still not seeing where any of this was going. 

“They weren’t exactly into television,” Wally frowned, “Wonder Woman wasn’t into television and Garth didn’t like the same shows as the rest of us. So we started the ‘book club’, remember. For everyone to learn more about each other or whatever you said to make everyone agree.” 

The book club, Dick smiled at the thought, getting where all of Wally’s excitement had come from. “What I remember is you and Roy complaining about learning Greek and Atlantean.” 

“I was complaining about having to read off of clay tablets. Roy was the one who didn’t want to learn any of the foreign languages.” 

Everyone, other than Donna who’d known more about the Atlanteans than the rest of them, had been surprised when Garth had shown up with a stack of tablets at their exchange. Garth had shyly explained Atlanteans weren’t allowed to share tech with surface dwellers. That had been the moment Dick had realized how he hadn’t thought out the exchange at all. Everyone had to learn different languages, paper wasn’t the best for where Garth lived, having documents from Atlantis and Themyscira would be pretty suspicious for their civilian identities. 

Dick hadn’t voiced any of his worries because everyone had been so excited. It hadn’t mattered because everything mostly worked out in the end. It had been fun trying to figure out the different languages, hearing how terribly everyone was translating the text, asking why everyone picked out the stories they had, why Donna had picked the epic tale of her mother's exploits was the most questionable one, and Dick had the best time making up stories for why he was translating Greek scrolls during his Latin class. 

Things had been simpler then. 

“Donna was annoyed with having to read the Hardy Boys.” Dick still wasn’t seeing how this was connected to Dick collecting books for Jason. His confusion must have still been showing in his expression because Wally rolled his eyes at Dick. 

“Dick it’s been a few years but everyone hated reading the Hardy Boys. That’s not my point. You’re getting these from Jason’s room, that means Jason has already read most of them if not all of them. Even if you’re taking in account that he’s desperate enough to read his old favorites from ninth grade, what you’ve picked out isn’t going to take him a week with all the free time he has now.” 

“I guess Jason’s old enough to read all about how Wonder Woman’s mom made her way through the Greek city states.” Dick did have his copies of Donna’s scrolls in storage somewhere. Finding a book on reading ancient Greek shouldn’t be too hard. Wally’s suggestion was kind of perfect for what Dick wanted. 

“Don’t talk about that. Barry couldn’t look at Diana the same after finding what she approved.” Flash shivered. Dick could understand Bruce had taken Wonder Woman’s approved reading selection about as well. 

“So you’re cool with it then.” Wally flashed Dick the brightest smile that Dick couldn’t return because he completely misunderstood what Wally was getting at. At least Dick didn’t think Wally would be this excited about Dick taking up his suggestion to share some of Dick’s old Titans stuff with Jason. 

“Yeah about that, what exactly am I being cool with.” 

“Getting some of the Titans favorite books to share with your little bro.” Dick blink for a moment trying to process how Wally thought the Titans showing up for book club with Jason in Arkham was going to end well for anyone involved. 

“Wally,” Dick took a breath trying to figure out how to say this, “I don’t think you understand where Jason is right now…” Mentally, emotionally, Dick was pretty sure he’d gone over exactly how to express Jason’s condition to people with Doctor Quinzel several times. He’d even done an interview a few weeks ago so he shouldn’t be stumbling over this anymore.

Dick should have felt grateful Donna hadn’t shared his little breakdown with the rest of the team like he’d assumed she had. Instead, he’d wished she’d had so Dick didn’t have to tell Wally why his well intended idea was as terrible as it was. 

“I’ve seen the news.” Wally was speaking slowly, choosing his words carefully again. “I’ve been involved in this business for nearly as long as you have. You know I have an idea of where Jason is right now. I’m not saying everyone is going to Jason’s cell every Friday to have book club. Donna told us you didn’t want anyone visiting Jason. I understand why.”

“What are you saying?” Dick breathed out barely a whisper. 

“Collecting a few of everyone’s favorite books to drop off at Jason’s every few weeks. Not just us, the originals, but all the Titans. Letting him know we still think of him as one of the Titans.” Wally’s tone shifting from excited to serious and back was disorienting for Dick, usually it wouldn’t have been but he couldn’t think. 

Would this be a good idea for Jason, for the team? 

Somewhere in front of him Dick could hear Wally outlining his plan in detail adding flourishes, Dick couldn’t focus. Jason had enjoyed being on the Titans, Bruce...Dick swallowed, Bruce had told Dick that once after Jason had… Had Jason considered them friends, then? Would this help with his recovery? What about the kids? Jason had attacked Tim in the tower less than a year ago. There was going to be some bad blood there. 

“I can’t ask anyone to do that Wally.” Even if they were just sending books, Dick knew, people would start getting attached. He didn’t know how things with Jason were going to turn out. Dick couldn’t ask the team to take a risk like that for him. 

“You weren’t listening to my brilliant plan. That’s okay because brilliance can be repeated. You aren’t asking anyone anything. If you agree to this,” Dick flinched at how slowly Wally said that part, "then we’re going to finish dinner, I’m going to tell you all about my kids, you’re going to tell me all about your kid, after that you’re going to go off to do ‘bat’ stuff and I’m going to ask everyone if they want to be involved. All you have to do is deliver the books to Jason next time you see him and give him the explanation. Since you're the leader and all.” 

Dick opened his mouth to say: no, yes, he couldn’t potentially risk the team for his family except, if it were other circumstances he would. Dick didn’t know. 

Dick flinched without realizing why until he felt the weight of Wally’s hands on Dick’s arm. “You’re always saying the Titans aren’t like the Justice League, we’re a family. Let us take care of a member of our family.” 

“Okay,” Dick swallowed, “if the team wants to be a part of this.” 

“All you need to worry about is if Jason wants to be a part of this. We’ve got your back. Now let me tell you about what Linda’s parents got the kids for their birthday.”


	4. Arsenal

“I think you’ve done a good job setting up a rapport with your brother these last few visits.” Doctor Quinzel’s smile was warm, sincere, and her lipstick wasn’t the color she’d been wearing during this meeting. The color she’d worn had been a softer shade almost matching her skin tone, the color here was a darker red almost black in the lighting of the room. Where her smile had been pleased, here it was cartoonishly elated. There was a name on the tip of Dick’s tongue. The name of the person who had that smile.

If the name mattered.

Dreams change the details of memories. Dick had spent most of his lifetime seeing all the possible ways his parents could have ended up broken on the ground. All the different ways Batman had gone down. Even in his dreams Dick hadn’t predicted how Bruce died.

Dick could feel there was something off about the bed he was lying on. The texture of the sheets was different than his in the penthouse. These were more like the ones back in his old apartment. Maybe that meant the bed was part of the dream, along with the daylight he could half see from behind his eyelids. Dick doubted that. Most likely he was half asleep in an unfamiliar bed dreaming about a meeting he had the day before.

A situation he was all too familiar with. Bruce had drilled into him how to deal with these types of situations since he’d been eight. Before Bruce had even been seriously considering Robin. Dick knew exactly how he should be reacting. Slowly bringing himself back to awareness, keeping his breathing even, and he should be doing all that, except he was thinking about Bruce and nothing was happening.

Behind Doctor Quinzel’s office, underneath the bed, there was Bruce instructing Dick on the proper way of waking up, there was Dick thinking about how he’d predicted Bruce’s death wrong, and finding it ironic that he had.

Dick wasn’t going to waste time thinking about Bruce.

“I know you’re worried about your father's safety around your brother.” That wasn’t what she’d said. Then Dick could feel himself answering Doctor Quinzel’s actual question. He couldn’t hear himself say the words, even as he felt his lips moving. Making up excuses about how Bruce was off world on Justice League business. That’s where Bruce died. Now that Dick was putting the two situations together it was all kind of hilarious.

Doctor Quinzel’s office must have agreed with him because it started laughing. The laughter was familiar.

“No he’s still asleep.”

Usually hearing that laughter would send chills down Dick’s spine. This time Dick was calm. Bruce was here instructing Dick on how to control his breathing to keep calm in the cave. Safe in the cave.

“I don’t know, Roy. Yes, I know, his fever broke a few hours ago, I was the one who told you. I also told you he was dead to the world when Lian can home from school an hour ago. I know you didn’t believe me then because ‘no one can sleep through Lian coming home from school’, yes, I know you have personal experience with that, you told me that an hour ago.”

Doctor Quinzel’s office was starting to brighten or the colors were brightening, not the lighting, that was getting darker and redder. Dick was still recounting the cover story like nothing was happening.

“If you must know he’s been sleeping through our conversation, Lian has been painting his nails for the last thirty minutes- Her mother. Remember we had all the polish tested two months ago. Yes, I know, the superhero world went to hell over the last two months. Oliver coming back to life was probably an omen not the cause.”

“Omar, he’s moving more.” There was a squeal of excitement near his feet. That didn’t matter because Doctor Quinzel had joined in the laughter. Everything made sense now. He had to-

A weight slammed into his chest ripping Dick out of his revelation into-into Roy’s safe house guest room with Lian beaming at him with excitement.

“Hi.” She chirped.

“Hi.” Dick responded back giving her a weak smile. “Get the number of the truck that hit me?”

Glancing around Lian Dick could see Omar, her sitter, leaning against the door frame phone in hand giving Dick a cool once over. “You should be happy. He’s awake and lucid this time.”

* * *

This wasn’t the first time Dick had woken up at Roy’s place without memories of how he’d gotten there. All the other times it had happened he might not have remembered the events leading up to the unexpected wake up call, but he always remembered Roy being there. Dick remembered staking out one of the newer crime bosses who was trying to cut into the new Black Masks territory. The whole affair had been mostly low key, he’d mostly been there to see who else was getting involved in the newest power struggle in Gotham, since-he’d become Batman.

Dick remembered being sick then: not sleeping it off for three days and needing an IV kind of sick, more of a take a few aspirins and try to catch up on some sleep after work and Damian’s parent-teacher conference.

Damian’s parent-teacher conference.

Dick was going to kill Roy.

Three weeks of reading all of the relevant information for children with life situations similar to Damian’s, having some painful interviews with a few people in the superhero community with insight into dealing with deprogramming and reintegration into normal life, and getting a plan together to help Damian’s teacher adjust to him. All that for Roy to kidnap Dick for reasons that Omar wasn’t willing to explain before he carried Lian off so she wouldn’t catch what Dick had. Disappearing like this was going to make Dick and any of his plans for Damian look terrible to any teacher.

Dick ran a hand across his face. If he wasn’t feeling as miserable as he was he’d just leave and deal with Roy later. Attempting to get out of bed and walk out of this room had ended up leaving Dick winded, sweating, and made everything ache worse. Except his head which hadn’t been as bad as he remembered it being during the stake out, at least until Lian had started watching that terrible Teen Titans cartoon, Gar was the producer, director, and star, at full volume. For the first few minutes when she started it Dick had known he was going to die. He’d survived by reminding himself that Lian thought he enjoyed the show and probably didn’t understand loud noises weren’t good for headaches. Omar should have.

When it became blissfully silent Dick knew Roy was here. Dick had been able to get himself back onto the bed in a sitting position in enough time to look like he hadn’t exerted himself trying to walk across the room. All he needed was for Roy to think he was justified in what he’d done to Dick.

“Well, looks like the sleeping prince woke up.” Roy spoke as he walked into the room closing the door behind him without taking his eyes of Dick. Dick glared at him.

“What were you thinking?” Dick snapped. His irritation increased as Roy didn’t answer immediately, instead he looked Dick fully over a few times then after what could have been forever he leaned back against the door with a smug smirk on his face. “Trouble escaping?”

“I don’t appreciate being kidnapped for no reason.” Dick shot back.

“You don’t think I had a reason. I know you don’t remember Wednesday night so I’ll go over the details for you.”

“I was fine.”

“No you really weren’t. What you were was burning up with a fever, I could feel through your suit completely disoriented to the point you didn’t even know why you were there or more importantly that you were in the suit, collapsed. Which was probably a good thing or, knowing you, you’d have wandered off, and without any kind of back up. When I contacted Alfred he didn’t even know where you were. Tell me you were fine.”

Dick had to bite back his initial response. Saying he was fine was going to lead to a pointless fight with Roy that Dick would have loved to have had, but it would use up all the energy Dick was going to need to get back to the penthouse and fix this mess. Damian’s teacher should still be at the academy for a few more hours. All Dick had to do was convince Roy to let him leave, somehow.

Dick didn’t understand why Roy was doing any of this. People in their line of work ended up on roofs barely coherent all the time and most of them didn’t even have a support structure to save them. This wasn’t even the first time Dick had ended up in the situation before.

Did Dick call Roy when he’d been less than coherent? Dick stiffened at the thought. If he’d called Roy, the response made so much more sense. Out of everyone, Dick was sure Roy wouldn’t tell Donna what had happened, he probably didn’t even tell Alfred the truth about what happened. So maybe he had called him to-Dick wasn’t sure. He didn’t need a pick up or a rescue. Was it some kind of confession. Whatever happened Dick needed to know before he’d be able to convince Roy to take him back to Gotham.

“If I didn’t have any back up, how did you know I-” Needed help, was what Roy wanted him to say, what everyone wanted him to say, Dick couldn’t say the words. He just needed to say the words to get back to Damian. Why couldn’t he just say the words.

“Hey no deflection. We’re talking about how fine you are.” If fevered crazed Dick had called Roy to tell him-nothing, because if Dick had called Roy, Roy would have thrown it right back in his face because it would have proved Roy’s point.

“Were you spying on me?” Roy didn’t flinch. He’s gaze shifted slightly to Dick’s right.

Dick felt cold. The accusation was baseless. Roy did have the resource to attempt spying on Dick, but he wouldn’t. That wasn’t Roy’s style. Dick trusted him and Roy wouldn’t have. Someone else must have tipped Roy off about what happened. Who though? Barbara would have in a heartbeat if she weren’t in recovery. If she had she would have told Dick, it wouldn’t have been a secret. Any of the Titans would have confronted him.

Bruce, Dick shivered, Bruce would have done something like this. Tip one of Dick’s friends off to look after him without ever bothering to tell him. Bruce was dead.

“Dick, stop thinking whatever you're thinking. We’re getting around to the throwing punches point of the conversation.” Dick jerked when Roy placed his hand on Dick’s shoulder. Roy was right Dick needed to get out of his head. Someone he hadn’t noticed was watching him and potentially Damian.

“How did you know I was there?” Dick tried not to think too hard about how he hadn’t noticed, when Roy had left the door and sat down on the bed.

Roy leaned back with a sigh. “I don’t want you to get your hopes up, that’s why I didn’t come out and tell you.” Dick felt a part of his brain starting to trip, because Tim wasn’t right about Bruce. “When I was visiting Jason that evening I got the impression he was-” Roy waved his right hand, trying to pull a word out of the air. He didn’t need to because Dick’s brain was trying to process the transition to Jason, who Roy had visited.

“Agitated about you going out. Said something along the lines of-” Roy gave Dick a critical look before amending his statement, ”you looked under the weather. He was insistent. I called Alfred. He didn’t know where you were.” The accusation in Roy’s voice started settling Dick’s mind again. He couldn’t deal with the gentleness and the revelation.

“I asked him to send me your case files. You're lucky the first one I checked out was the right one.”

“You snuck into Arkham to visit Jason.” Dick had considered calling Roy after Dick had been able to calm down after his first visit with Jason. Dick never called Roy. The situation with Jason was emotional taxing. Dick couldn’t ask Roy to add that to he’s responsibilities. He couldn’t ask anyone from the team. They were already overburden as it was. They didn’t need to get involved because Dick was handling Jason.

Now that Roy was involved, a tiny part of Dick was pleased.

While Jason and Roy’s experiences weren’t exactly similar, Oliver never said Roy attempted to kill him for not loving him enough, Dick wouldn’t be surprised if Roy could give additional insight into how to help Jason.

Dick could trust Roy that he wouldn’t get Jason from his days as Robin confused with Jason as he was now. Dick couldn’t say that about the rest of the team, especially Donna who had, according to Jason, gotten Jason mixed up with Dick when she’d lead the team. Back then Jason had sounded amused. Dick didn’t want to think how Jason would take those memories now.

Dick wasn’t sure how he felt as he considered the pros to Roy staying in contact with Jason and not focusing on the cons like he should have. Selfish, that’s how he felt.

“Why would I sneak into Arkham?” Roy looked down right incredulous when he answered. “Jason’s shrink wasn’t too pleased to see me but you're not the only one with contacts.”

“Why wouldn’t she have called to say you visited?” Dick was sure he’d signed a few stacks of paperwork saying anyone who wanted access to Jason had to get his approval. Old friends even with ties to shifty government organizations should have gotten Dick a phone call.

Given Roy’s admission that Doctor Quinzel had been there when Roy arrived meant Roy had to have gotten there just after Dick had left. Probably minutes after Dick had left. Dick had been skirting the Arkham’s visiting hours because-the reason didn’t matter. What did matter was that Dick had left Jason a few minutes before Doctor Quinzel usually left. Dick could remember apologizing for keeping her so late.

Maybe Doctor Quinzel had called.

Dick was finding that he remembered less and less of that evening the more he tried to recall any of it. That was troubling because maybe that meant Roy wasn’t wrong about Dick’s condition. Dick was starting to have to blink more than he should to keep his eyes open. He’d also started sinking into the headboard after realizing Jason had been the tipster.

Roy shrugged. “I don’t know, does she usually call?"

In between two blinks of his eyes Dick was across the room leaning on the wall panting. Dick wasn’t sure exactly where the energy for him to move had come from, but he needed it back, because he had to leave, now.

“You didn’t know I was visiting Jason.” Roy spoke as slowly as he stood, like Dick was-Dick scowled-like he was a civilian who couldn’t handle the firefight they’d been saved from.

“You already knew that.” Dick threw out the accusation. Roy didn’t even flinch.

“I didn’t know. Either way… ” Dick glared at Roy when he took a step towards Dick, it didn’t stop Roy from taking another one. “I assumed the shrink would have told you. You’re paying for half of Arkham so why wouldn’t she tattle on me.”

“You think it was a good idea that she didn’t tell me.” Roy stopped close enough to reach when-if Dick fell over, but far enough to give Dick the illusion of space. Not that Dick had any space, he could feel everything closing in on him.

“I think Jason didn’t want you to know.” Obviously, Dick could believe Jason hadn’t wanted him to know about Roy visiting. Outside of Jason’s opinions on Alfred’s cooking and literature, there wasn’t much Jason wanted Dick to know. After the introduction of ‘book club’ Jason had started becoming more engaged with Dick during his visits. The last two, Dick had dared trying to turn the conversation to more personal topics. Jason had shut Dick down every single time.

Doctor Quinzel had told Dick that they were still in the process of setting up a rapport. Jason opening up would take time. She hadn’t mentioned Roy at all. Had Jason asked her not to? For a brief moment Dick could see Doctor Quinzel’s smile warped with blood as opposed to lipstick.

“How long, Roy.” Dick could feel himself starting to slip down the wall. All he needed to do was adjust his bearing.

Roy frowned. Dick could see Roy was weighing his options, he looked like he was trying to line up a shot.

“I’ll tell you if you sit back down.” Dick shook his head. There were exactly two places to sit down in that room. One was the floor and the other was the bed. If Dick took either of those options he knew he wasn’t going to be getting back up in time to get back to Gotham and clear things up.

“Okay, I’ll sweeten the deal, if you sit down I’ll tell you everything I know and I’ll take you back to Gotham.” Roy looked sincere, which meant he had to be lying, didn’t it? Usually it wasn’t so difficult to read Roy.

“Or you can stand there until you fall over. I’ll have to haul you over to the bed and you’ll have to wait for answers and Gotham whenever you regain consciousness.” That sounded like a Roy Dick could trust.

“Fine.” Dick pushed off the wall miraculously not swaying, for a second he considered making a run for it, he could get the information from Roy whenever he wanted to. If he could even trust the information. Jason wasn’t going to verify any of it for Dick.

The next second Dick felt the exhaustion and the aches crash down on him with the force of a one-two punch from Bane, if Bane had been a boxer as opposed to a wrestler. Roy caught Dick before he completely collapsed.

“Let go of me.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know you're completely fine.” Dick figured he must look more pathetic than he felt because he fully expected Roy to drop him.

Once they’d gotten to the bed Roy situated Dick against the headboard. Dick would have sat up fully, except he was winded from getting mostly dragged that very short distance. At least Roy hadn’t tucked him in. Yet.

“Are you going to tell me?”

Roy smirked. “I don’t know, can you hear me over your own breathing?” Dick leveled his most practiced Bat glare at Roy who looked as impressed with it as Alfred did.

“Donna told me your first visit didn’t go as planned.” Dick had several biting replies lined up to respond to that statement. If he wasn’t low on energy and air he would have given them. “You wouldn’t talk about what happened.” So Donna had told someone about his freak out. Had she told everyone or just Roy? The two of them had been close once.

"She was worried about you.” Dick could feel the pointed look Roy was giving him.

“You weren’t going to say anything so I thought I’d go to the source.” Jason. Roy did like to take the direct approach to problems, except- “Wally said Donna told you I didn’t want anyone talking to Jason.”

“She said that and your reasoning.” Roy’s tone said how much he thought of Dick’s logic. “Since I’m not on the Justice League, I don’t really answer to either of you.”

“If you did you wouldn’t have cared.”

“I’m glad we understand each other. Getting in to see Jason was more annoying than I would have liked. His shrink was sure I was going to be a bad influence.” Wonder where she would have gotten that idea from. Then Dick guessed Roy might not have introduced himself as a former vigilante. Oliver’s identity was public record. Didn’t that mean Roy’s was too. Dick couldn’t believe he hadn’t considered that before.

“Despite her protest the administration let me in.” Dick could imagine Roy used the federal agent needing to talk to a contact. That’s right, Jason had been working with Gordon before Barbara’s surgery. Had someone else started working with Jason from the GCPD?

“Jason was less than thrilled to see me.” Dick could relate to that. Actually he could sort of hear Jason shouting at him now. Dick blinked his eyes open taking in a breath to keep himself awake. This was why he wanted to stay standing.

“We spent some time hashing things out.” Sounded like punching was involved. Dick thought back, trying to remember if Jason had any signs of being in a fight between Dick’s first and second visit. There wasn’t anything obvious he could remember.

“We came to an understanding.” Dick probably should have interjected here saying he wanted to know more, except he really, really didn’t want to know more.

“I’ve been visiting him whenever I have some free-time.” That all explained Jason’s moody behavior between Dick’s first visit and his second. Dick’s instinct to call Roy in the first place had been right. He should have listened to it if nothing more than to save himself this evening of dramatic reveals.

“Why didn’t he tell me?” Was it just Jason’s distrust of Dick? Was Jason embarrassed by what went down?

“Dick I have a feeling you don’t like thinking about this, but you’re in control of nearly every aspect of Jason’s life.” Roy was right Dick didn’t actually like thinking about that aspect of his relationship with Jason. It made Dick feel too much like-Batman. Right now there wasn’t any other option for dealing with Jason.

“Jason’s going to try and control the few things that are in his power to control.” Secrets, that’s all Jason has to himself. Lots and lots of secrets that were potentially dangerous to Dick, to Jason, and everyone else.

“What if it isn’t just you visiting Jason?” The Joker hadn’t showed up yet or Dick thought he hadn’t. Now Dick didn’t know anymore. Anyone could have access to Jason.

“You’re going to have to wait for Jason to tell you.” Trust Roy to be so pragmatic about things Dick didn’t want to be pragmatic about.

“That’s not going to be happening anytime soon.” Or ever, that was a possibility. Jason, Tim, then Damian who was one argument away from running back to his mother, Dick wasn’t doing a good job of keeping them together.

“Who knows Dick. I’m not the best at being the positive one, but he was worried about you enough to ask me to check up on you. He loves your book club. If-if Oliver had given me the kind of attention you’ve been giving Jason we would have an entirely different relationship.” Dick didn’t need Roy trying to bend over backwards to cheer him up.

Roy had been talking to Jason about things Jason clearly wasn’t willing to talk to Dick about. There was no reason to ask Roy about any of them, because Roy wouldn’t betray anyone’s trust like that. Just Dick’s.

“Is there anything you think I should be doing for Jason.” For a question Dick had spent hours researching and asking various professionals about, it was an awkward one to ask a friend. Wally’s idea was working. Roy was clearly getting along with Jason.

Roy leaned back in consideration. “I think you should let a few more people talk to him. Since that’s not going to happen. Jason needs more stimulation. The whole book club is a great idea but he needs more engagement. Maybe some puzzles to work on, some cold case files you think aren’t going to set him off, enroll him in college. Something. He’s like you, so sitting idle isn’t doing wonders for his brain.”

Dick nodded. “I can work with that.”

“Good now that we’ve had our emotionally exhausting conversation, I guess it's goodnight.”

“No, you’re going to take me to Gotham.”

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t promise you when I was taking you to Gotham today. I did however promise my little girl that you weren’t going home until she got a chance to finish painting your nails. So good night.”


	5. Red Hood (part one)

“This doesn’t doesn’t look like it's on the approved reading list.” Jason was trying so hard to look disinterested with the case file Dick had tossed down on the table. If Dick hadn’t known Jason better, now Dick knew him better now, he wouldn’t have noticed how soft Jason’s voice had gotten. Anyone could see how intensity/hungrily Jason was staring at the file. The tenseness in Jason’s posture, like he was ready to spring if Dick tried to take the paperwork back. Dick could see Jason was doing everything in his power not to pick up the file.

Dick understood. He could remember his own reactions to when Bruce offered Dick his first case. Dick’s reactions hadn’t been so different then.

“You’ve been willing to work with the GCPD. Batman thought you would be willing to work with him.” Dick’s attempts at casual were probably as obvious as Jason’s attempts at disinterest.

“Batman wants my help on a case.” Jason spoke slowly as if Dick had no idea what he’d said. Maybe Dick didn’t know what he was doing. Roy’s suggestion about the cold cases had seemed so perfect to Dick when all he’d had to do was lie in Roy’s guest bed and try not to stew in his frustration with Roy while Lian painted his nails.

When Dick had finally been allowed back to the penthouse, to fix all of Roy’s meddling. That was the reality of Dick’s limited time started setting in.

Going through the backlog of cold case files to find a case that wasn’t going to trigger Jason into an attempted escape from Arkham to dish out vengeance would take time, even with the Bat computer's search engine. Time Dick hadn’t actually had when he’d gotten back to the penthouse.

He’d returned to a message from Donna needing him for a Justice League mission, off world, of course. Dick still hadn’t been able to set up a new appointment with Damian’s teacher. Wayne Tech needed Dick to attend an overseas meeting as soon as possible for the good of the entire company. On top of that there was a new brightly colored serial killer attempting to paint Gotham red.

Dick had tried.

Before leaving for the Justice League mission he’d been: running through the case files, reviewing the materials he’d gathered for the conference with Damian’s teacher (he’d have to do it by phone on the Wayne Tech trip), reading over the police reports on the latest murders. Or he’d thought he’d been.

All the words had blurred together into a weirdly worded article about the Joker, he was reading in Doctor Quinzel’s office were the I’s where dotted with comic little smiles, and Dick knew he’d had this dream before he’d woken up to Damian...Dick had been so sure Damian’s hand was on Dick forehead checking him for a fever.

Damian had told Dick not to bother with entertaining Todd, that he could handle the task.

If there was ever a perfect solution to a problem.

Damian didn’t have much experience with cold cases. Dick hadn’t gotten around to showing Damian how to work them. His excuse, as poor as it was, for the lapse in Damian’s education was that trying to get Damian to do anything that could be perceived as remotely investigative in nature was more difficult than dealing with Deathstroke.

It wasn’t Damian’s fault he was having so much trouble moving away from the accuse first and decapitate next stage of crime fighting. Even without Damian’s background, they’d all had that problem. Or Jason and Dick had that particular problem. Not so much with Tim. His problems were on the opposite side of the spectrum. Too much investigation and too little action. Or that’s how it had been with Tim.

This would be a good opportunity for Damian to learn a new way of fighting crime. Alfred knew enough to give Damian help with the basics. After the Wayne Tech trip Dick would review Damian’s work with him and give Damian a few more pointers.

There was also Dick’s foolishly held belief, that going over old files would keep Damian off the streets and away from the current killer menacing Gotham. Probably the same part of Dick that had thought Damian had been checking him for a fever had come up with that idiotic thought.

That was probably also the same part of Dick that was pleased Damian was taking an interest in Jason: outside of wanting to gut him for dishonoring his Father.

Much, much later when Dick had moved past his emotions about Damian’s volunteering to help with Jason, he’d been mortified to realize Damian would have had to have seen Dick’s notes about Damian’s school life.

At the time everything had fit so perfectly.

Dick couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt as ecstatic as he had while giving Damian a rundown on the parameters of the search and a brief overview of the basics of cold case files.

If Dick hadn’t returned from the Justice League mission during Damian’s school hours Dick would have been handing over one of those cases to Jason now. Dick hadn’t had enough time to fully go over Damian’s work, what he’d seen he’d been impressed with. He should have expected close to perfection.

Damian always gave more than his best effort to the tasks he chose to do. This had been something else. All the cases selected were perfect. They’d been organized by risk, by crimes, by times. Dick had gone over a few of them himself back when he’d had slow periods of time and he was sure Damian had added additional information to a few of them.

The way Damian had organized the files reminded Dick of Tim’s style of organization. That’s the moment Dick realized he should have slept on the way here, as opposed to going over his briefing for the Wayne Tech meeting, regardless of its importance, because he’d been hit with hope that maybe Damian had called Tim for help. He’d called Tim before. There was a possibility.

There was no way that Dick would be able to give Jason any of Damian’s work without giving Damian the chance to present his work to Dick for review.

Dick was slightly tempted because he wanted to avoid the impending argument when Dick told Damian, Damian wasn’t going to get to deliver his work to Jason himself. It was going to be a long time before Dick felt comfortable with the idea of Damian being anywhere around Jason.

Dick also didn’t want to visit Jason empty handed.

Knowing Roy was going to visit Jason during Dick’s mission had given him some relief. Asking Roy had been...difficult. An admission Dick didn’t want to make, because he hadn’t planned on what to do with Jason if he was called away for an extended period of time.

Two weeks wasn’t any stretch of time for a Wayne Tech meeting. While not common there had been Justice League missions that had lasted up to a few months, running undercover missions in the city was a frequent occurrence and could last as long. Those were events Dick had some level of foreknowledge. Things like getting captured by villains, getting selected as the hero for alien worlds, weren’t events Dick could plan for the night before.

Dick couldn’t demand Roy be on call for Jason duty for the rest of Jason’s imprisonment. Roy had his own set of obligations.

That’s why Dick needed to have something, anything for Jason at this visit. After abandoning Jason for two weeks Dick couldn’t turn around and do it again for another week with the Wayne Tech trip.

With most of the League off in space, and the Titans dealing with a few incidents on Earth had no new book recommended for Dick to deliver to Jason. Wally had been right about Alfred’s and Dick’s books. They’d lasted Jason less than a week. Even including a few of the newer books Alfred had picked out for Jason. Boxing up the Wayne library was still a possible option. Maybe toss in a few puzzles like Roy had suggested.

If Dick hadn’t been so caught up on the cold case files being the solution, he could have gotten Alfred to look into the college options. Dick hadn’t thought much about that option because he’d hated schooling but Alfred had mentioned a few times how much Jason had loved school and Dick hadn’t taken the hint.  
Then almost like magic. Dick had noticed there was a message on the Batcomputer from the new Commissioner. A theft at the Iceberg Lounge. Dick felt everything slip into place again.

Until he’d started rethinking the entire situation on the way to the asylum, finding all the holes in the plan. Now he had Jason questioning the validity of the plan.

“Are you wearing foundation?” Jason quipped smugly. Dick blinked coming out of…. Yeah, Dick was wearing foundation, while Dick wasn’t angry at Jason for telling Roy, Dick didn’t want a repeat, with everything he needed to get done this week.

Dick leaned forward and growled in his best Batman impersonation. “If there is another intervention you’re going to be right there with me.”

Jason quirked an eyebrow, looking faintly amused. “I’m not seeing how getting out of here would be a punishment.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Roy.” Dick said in earnest.

Jason tilted his head examining Dick, then after a moment turned back to the case. “So does Robin have a class project taking up his evening.”

“He’s working on a project. Just not one for school.” Dick said. Jason frowned thoughtfully.

“Not for the Titans either. He’s been banned.” Dick added, before Jason could ask. “It’s a surprise. You’ll get to see it when it's finished.”

None of that was a lie. It also wasn’t the entire truth. Even if Dick hadn’t thought the theft was a perfect case for Jason, he wasn’t going to be allowing Damian to work on it. Dick had been impressed with Damian’s work on the cold case files. Dick hadn’t been impressed with Damian going after the serial killer with only the mysterious meta, Abuse, as backup. Alfred hadn’t even known what Damian had done.

While Damian had stopped the killer without killing him, for the next three weeks all of Robin that Damian was going to be seeing was the suit in its case while Damian worked on the cold case files.

“Okay,” Jason drew the word out clearly considering Dick’s words. “What about Red Robin? Isn’t he back in Gotham.”

Dick didn’t flinch at the mention of Tim. “He’s not in Gotham.” The words came out of Dick’s mouth sharper and faster than he’d intended. Out of all the people involved with Batman Dick wouldn’t have thought Jason would have mentioned Tim. Dick couldn’t believe the first time Jason talked about Tim’s alter-ego or Tim at all, Jason would seem so casual. Like the last time Jason had seen Tim he hadn’t been trying to kill Tim.

Jason gave Dick a look that Dick couldn’t decipher. “Batman and Red Robin are still on the outs. I should have guessed.” What were Roy and Jason talking about? How did Roy even know about that? Dick hadn’t told him about...Tim. Dick knew Roy wasn’t in contact with anyone who would have told him about Tim. Had they meet up at some point. After finding out about Roy and Jason, Dick couldn’t assume Roy would have told him.

“So is this a drug case. The new Black Mask taking out another gang. Don’t keep me in suspense.” Dick hated how he really shouldn’t ask Roy about this. If Tim wanted to talk to Dick he would.

“You can check yourself.” Dick nodded to the file.

Jason’s fingers twitched. "I’d rather hear your rundown, first.”

Dick wanted to reassure Jason he wasn’t offering the case to take it back. If it had been...Batman offering Dick something like this he wouldn’t want the reassurances. “Batman didn’t tell me much.” Dick almost snorted at the exaggerated eye roll Jason gave him.

“He mentioned the Iceberg Lounge. I’ve seen all the news reports about the theft there.” Dick wished he’d spent less time worrying and more time making this sound as hilarious as it was.

“The Penguin's straight now. If the cops asked Batman for assistance I’m guessing the guns weren’t what was stolen. Was it some of his tacky art?”

Dick felt his mouth curve. “No, not any of his ill-gotten gains, either.”

“I don’t think that’s what casino money is called.” Jason replied with a slight quirk of his lips.

Dick shrugged. “I’m new to the billionaire playboy lifestyle, so I wouldn’t know what happens at the Iceberg Lounge.”

Jason snorted. “It’s called gambling.”

“I see,” Dick always needed a minute to start enjoying playing the clueless Wayne. “One of the penguins was taken.”

Jason stared at Dick. Dick smirked back at him.

“One of the penguins. There are easier ways to fulfill a death-wish.” Dick had the same thought when he’d seen the Commissioner’s message. Given how Penguin had demanded the police force Batman to assist in the investigation, there was clearly something else going on.

“Or a new environmentally friendly thief, right. I’ve heard Catwoman has put aside her wicked ways. Maybe someone is filling the void.” Dick flipped the file open. “I mean surely penguins aren’t comfortable in a casino.”

“Their owner seems to be. Did the bird squawk to the police until they had to call in Batman to deal with him?” Jason was reading over the first page of the report as he spoke.

“I don’t know about that. All I saw was his WGOB interview with Summer Gleeson.” Jason flipped to the next page of the report while Dick spoke. “Mr. Copplepot was infuriated that the GCPD wasn’t doing everything within their power to restore his penguin back to him. He was positive they weren’t putting in their full effort because of his past. Then he-”

“Then he demanded Batman be brought to solve the dastardly crime.” Jason cut Dick’s retelling off. “Smells pretty fishy. I’m sold. Tell Batman I accept.”

“He’d like you to tell him yourself.” Dick placed the batcommunicator on top of the open file. On his way here Dick went through all the potential problems of the plan. Why would Batman ask a crime boss who primarily dealt with drugs to investigate a theft of this nature? Dick had time to think of that solution.

The other of the most obvious problems: How would Jason be able to do the research necessary to solve the case, if he didn’t have access to the internet.

As GCPD case files that went over this case were unusually detailed, still, Dick didn’t think Jason was going to solve the case with just that file. Dick had printed out a good chunk of the information the batcomputer had on the Penguin. The simplest solution was for Dick to give Jason twenty-four seven access to Batman. Alfred would give Jason any information he needed from the computer and if Jason needed legs on the ground before Dick got back, Spoiler was available.

Not a perfect solution for the situation. Barbara had solved plenty of cases with a similar setup.

“Take it back.” Jason rasped out. Dick hadn’t anticipated Jason to have accepted the communicator easily. Mostly he’d expected an argument. Jason going pale and still wasn’t anything Dick knew how to deal with.

Dick pocketed the device, not knowing where to go from here. See if Jason would be more willing to talk to Alfred? Dick had planned to be the intermediary between Jason and Alfred and Spoiler, maybe it would be safe for Jason to just talk to Alfred. Jason was getting better.

“I’ll talk to Batman, we can work something out.” Jason didn’t respond. He wasn’t even looking at the case anymore. “I have a meeting to get to. I’ll be back in about a week.” Dick fumbled.

Jason didn’t respond until Dick had gotten to the door of the cell. “I’ll talk to you.”

Dick looked back at Jason. “I won’t talk to him.” Jason still wasn’t looking at Dick. “I’ll call you when I solve the case.”

“That’s good.”


	6. Red Hood (part one)

This was the day. 

Dick adjusted the stack of books, the Gordons’ contribution to Jason’s book club. Babs had been a little vindictive on how many she’d wanted Dick to bring over. 

While the stack wasn’t tall enough for Dick not to see over, it was a little taller than he felt comfortable with, the height made it difficult for Dick to keep track of the laptop he was bringing to Jason. Dick uncharitably wished Dinah could have waited a week to have shared the news with Barbara. 

Maybe the books would distract Jason enough he would accept the laptop without trouble. Dick’s attempt at giving Jason the communicator hadn’t turned out well. Dick had spent his free time during the Wayne Tech meeting figuring out how he’d mishandled the situation. 

This time Dick wasn’t springing entirely too much on Jason. Believing Jason was going to be able to handle both the case and the communicator hadn’t been fair to Jason. 

The last few visits Dick had been asking Jason what type of help he'd need going over the various cases for Batman. Dick hadn’t flat out told Jason he was bringing a laptop over. Mostly because, Dick believed Jason would have a much harder time rejecting the idea if the physical laptop was there. Jason knew Dick was bringing something over. 

The guard who opened Jason’s cell door gave the stack of books a bemused look. Dick shrugged. “He likes to read.” That was about all the conversation Dick got from the guards. He was pretty sure most of them thought the spoiled rich kid who was bending a few too many of the rules to see his psychopathic brother in his cell without a guard present was going to get what was coming to him. They didn’t know Dick could handle himself.

For the last few weeks whenever Dick came to see Doctor Quinzel she’d made a point of telling Dick that allowing Jason to become embroiled in the vigilante lifestyle again wouldn’t be helpful in his recovery. Dick didn’t understand how she was coming to that conclusion. Jason’s improvements were becoming more and more visible. 

Jason was actually smiling, or close enough, when Dick stepped into his cell. 

“I’m kind of too busy for a library right, now.” Jason’s pleased little smile was in contrast to his protest. 

All anyone needed to do was come to Jason’s cell to see the improvements. The walls weren’t covered with photo and paperwork connected with strings and crazy notes scrawled alongside them. Everything was laid out neatly on the desk. The last delivery of books was stacked neatly at the end of the bed, which was made. Dick could have been persuaded all of that was superficial improvement, because Jason’s room in the manor had been as neat and tidy, like Doctor Quinzel kept telling him, except the sketches Damian had sent were on the walls. That was a sign of improvement for both parties involved. 

Jason was active now. 

Dick wasn’t an idiot. The possibility Jason was manipulating him was never far from Dick’s mind when he thought about Jason or the more likely possibility one wrong word would send Jason spiraling back to where he’d been. 

“Barbara wanted to make sure you knew she cared. Since I’d forgotten to tell her about the club.” She’d been entirely right, Dick should have known he'd forgotten to tell her when she never asked him to pick anything up for Jason. Dick didn’t even have an excuse. Barbara always asked about Jason’s progress when they spoke. 

“I’m sure when you’re talking to her I’m not the first thing on your mind.” Jason said with a wink. Of the growing list of odd bits of information Jason knew that he shouldn’t, Dick’s previous relationship with Barbara was the oddest. 

Dick had been serious with Kori when Jason had been Robin and when Jason had been stalking Batman and his allies, Dick hadn’t been with Barbara in a long time. They’d never been public in the ways he and Kori had been. Sure people speculated their costumed counterparts were an item, gossip wasn’t something Dick could see Jason being into. Roy on the other hand. Why would Roy be discussing Dick’s failed love life with Jason? 

Dick shifted some of the books over to Jason making sure to keep the top of the stack along with the laptop in his arms. “I’m sure that’s the last thing on her mind when she’s talking to me.”

Jason shrugged smugly. “I think I’m making headway into that old Riddler case.”

“Batman was surprised you requested that one.” Dick had hoped/feared, he’d never been sure which, Jason would start becoming more active in picking out the cases he was working on. 

Damian’s selection of cold case files had been comprehensive but very Damian in selection. The more silly cases had been excluded. Dick had thought about throwing some of them in to make a point to Damian. He’d never gotten time to go through the backlog to find some of the more hilarious ones. Active cases were Dick’s contribution to Jason’s case work. 

It was a bit unfair and maybe a bit of a risk to Jason’s mental health for Dick to ask Jason for help on a few of them. There were cases Damian wasn’t ready to even begin to handle and, unlike Tim, Damian was still learning about Gotham and, unlike Bruce, Dick was still relearning Gotham, so there were several cases they were both disadvantaged at. For better or worse Jason was the Robin who knew the most about Gotham. 

“I’m a fan of literary works and puzzles so it was kind of tailor made for me.” Which it had been. Dick should have guessed Jason would want to work on one of his own unsolved cases. He couldn’t help being glad he had, because that case was the first time Jason had started asking Dick for things. 

Improvement.

Doctor Quinzel had been wrong about Jason seeing Roy, like Dick had been, she’d definitely been wrong about not telling Dick, he’d forgiven her for it, because the board had apparently come down hard on her. Dick was pretty sure she was wrong about Jason and the case work. None of that actually meant anything, because being wrong for an Arkham psychiatrist usually didn’t look anything like improvement for the patient involved. Jason’s headway couldn’t entirely be because of Roy and Dick’s influences. People made mistakes. Dick certainly had made several with Jason. 

“So I’ve noticed.” Dick shook the books in his arms for emphasis. “Too bad Detective Nygma won’t remember the riddle. He would have been impressed it had finally gotten solved.” 

“Because that’s who I want to impress.” Dick couldn’t see Jason’s eyes rolling, Jason’s back was turned from him as Jason placed his pile of books by the head of the bed, he was pretty sure he could hear them.

“You planning on working?” Jason nodded towards Dick’s stack of books and the laptop on the top of the stack. Jason mannerisms and tone of voice sounded causal.

“About that.” Dick tried not to hold his breath. He put down his stake of books trying not to add any additional meaning to the feeling of Jason’s eyes on him. 

“I suggested you’d probably be more about to help Batman if you had access to a computer.” That sounded pretty pathetic. Jason hadn’t liked how Dick had framed Batman wanting Jason to have the communicator so Dick had thought this would work better for him. 

“He agreed.” Jason’s face was blank as he spoke. At least he was still keeping eye contact with Dick.

“Yes. It has limited access to his database and the internet. There’s a word processor too.” Dick tried to tag the last part on as a tease. Jason didn’t even blink. 

“He told me your use will be monitored. If you have any additional requests he would be willing to hear them.” Dick swallowed. “He’s been appreciative of your work.”

Dick offered the laptop. Jason’s eyes deliberately moved from Dick’s to the laptop. Jason didn’t speak and Dick didn’t speak for a few minutes.

“There’s not a logo.” Jason broke the silence sounding bemused. 

“What?” 

Jason took the laptop from Dick’s hands. He took the laptop. Dick felt relief crashing towards him. Jason showed Dick the front of the laptop and pointed at the center. “There isn’t a Bat logo here. There isn’t even a decal.” 

“Aren’t those the same?” Dick asked. He tried not to hold his breath as Jason started up the laptop. Jason’s face was still blank. 

“Do you wonder why Nightwing doesn’t have good merchandise?” Jason asked. 

“No.” Dick really didn’t need to be looming over Jason while he was checking out the laptop. 

“Because he doesn’t know what a decal is.” Jason’s eyes widened after he’d finished mocking Dick. Dick assumed Jason found the access to the batcomputer. 

Jason leaned forward and started working on the computer in earnest. Dick gave him a few minutes. “I’ll leave you to it.” This time Dick wasn’t going to be more overwhelming than he needed to be. 

“No!” Jason looked up from the computer with what could have been a trace of panic in his eyes. “I have things to show you.” 

Dick sat down across from Jason. "I don’t want to take you away from your new toy.” 

Jason closed the laptop, placing it with a reverence, Dick wouldn’t have thought Jason could have, on the bed behind him. “That can wait.” Jason opened up one of the files on the desk. “This is something you’re going to want to see.”


	7. The Conclusion

Tim was dead. Dick couldn’t look away from the body. He couldn’t remember when Tim had gotten there. He knew it was important...it didn’t make sense for him to be here...or did it?

Dick had been trying to find Jason – stop the Joker from killing Jason. Jason had been telling Dick how it had happened over and over again. Dick had tried to find him. He’d tried. The room was so small Dick should have been able to find Jason in there. Jason was dead. Dick was being haunted by his ghost. Tim’s body was there. Lying on the floor in a bloody heap. Dick couldn’t remember seeing him...Dick knew how Tim had gotten there. There had been screaming...Tim had been alive when Ra’s henchmen had dragged him in...Dick hadn’t noticed then, he’d been distracted by trying to find Jason.

Now they were both dead.

Talia had been there earlier to tell Dick she’d taken Damian back. And Bruce...Dick could feel Bruce...the cowl’s disappointment cutting into Dick’s chest.

Dick had killed Doctor Quinzel. He’d been relieved. Bruce had been there. Dick hadn’t meant to kill her. He’d told Bruce. Dick had been trying to get out to save Jason. Bruce had told Dick he couldn’t be Batman. Not just because of the murder. Dick had taken the cowl off and thrown it across the room and it had been watching him ever since.

His heart was racing unnaturally fast. Dick didn’t think he was going to live long. Dying shouldn’t matter. Dick had killed everyone else. He didn’t want to die. He couldn’t stop being selfish.

“Dick.” Tim was talking. His mouth wasn’t moving. Somewhere Jason had stopped talking. Was Tim taking over the haunting now? Dick couldn’t tell.

“Grayson.” That sounded...Damian wasn’t here anymore. It couldn’t be Damian because it sounded worried. “Why isn’t he responding, Drake?”

“Code names, Robin. Dick can you look at me?”

“I’m looking at you.” Dick said to Tim’s body, except it wasn’t there anymore. He’d been watching Tim the whole time. Tim couldn’t have vanished like Jason or Bruce or Damian.

Something touched his shoulder. Dick jerked. Whatever had been there pulled back. It almost felt like a hand. Were they here to take him away, put him in a cell for murdering the doctor, would they be putting him in Jason’s cell. Just like dying Dick didn’t want to go, even if he desired it.

“I think...he is under the influence of fear toxin. We just need to get him the antidote.” Dick turned his head to follow Tim’s voice. The words were lining up with Red Robin’s mouth. Robin was there in front of Dick with his hands hovering around Dick’s shoulders.

“No. Jason reported it was Joker toxin. The clown’s woman is on the ground.” Dick flinched. The world around him started seeming clearer...sharper, more real and red. Everything around him was red. With Doctor Quinzel’s blood. Damian shouldn’t be seeing him like this. Tim shouldn’t see him like this.

“Because the bad guys never change things up, Robin.” The cowl was directly behind the boys...it wasn’t glowering at Dick anymore. “I don’t have an antidote. We’re going to need to get him checked out in case the toxins are both still in his system.”

The cowl was looking at the boys. The cape was the shadows in the room and they were… “That is unacceptable. We will not compromise Batman’s identity.”

The bickering faded away as the shadows began to swallow the room around them, until it was just Dick, the boys, and the cowl. The cowl was watching the boys hungry.

Dick wasn’t good enough for it anymore. The mantle wanted to move on.

Dick tried to warn them. Say anything. He couldn’t talk. His chest felt like it was being crushed and he couldn’t breath. He had to warn them.

“Robin.” Dick gasped out as the shadows lunged on them.

A hand caught Dick’s shoulder as he tried to get the boys out of the way.

“Dick. Listen to me. They’re fine.” Dick recognized the voice, Donna. The room was bright. He could breath. He’d been breathing heavily for a while given how his chest was feeling.

Dick wasn’t locked away in some forsaken section of Arkham watching Tim and Damian get… No. He was lying on a bed. In his own room. There was an IV line in his arm. On his other side there was a weight lying against him. Damian. Dick stared. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was seeing was real. It looked very much like Damian had crawled into Dick’s bed and was lying there beside him…asleep with other people in the room.

Dick turned back to Donna. She’d moved back from the bed, presumably to give Dick space to center himself. “Where are they?” Dick rasped out. It had been a nightmare. Damian was lying right here looking healthy and safe...which seemed more unrealistic than before. This felt real. The shadows were where they belonged. Dick could move, even if he wouldn’t because he didn’t want to disturb Damian.

Dick was sure he wasn’t experiencing the physical after effects of Fear or Joker toxin. Then in the dream/nightmare/memories Dick hadn’t felt like he’d been hit by Fear toxin either. Damian being content around him was a classic beginning of a nightmare, Donna wasn’t usually in those.

“You got lucky. Your buddy Commissioner Gordon arrived in time to stop Jason from ending up in Blackgate. Jason’s downstairs being interviewed by him now.” Roy was standing on the other side of Dick’s bed by...Wally. Wally, Donna, and Roy were all here. Jason was here.

“Jason stayed.” Dick wasn’t sure exactly which of his memories were real and which weren’t. He was certain the whole Doctor Quinzel being Harley Quinn was real. Dick couldn’t see Jason staying after Dick had left him with a groupie of the villain who murdered him.

“Yeah. Jason told me he didn’t want to damage your reputation by springing himself out of prison.” Roy smirked. “That’s what he said, anyways.”

“He was worried about your...condition.” Garth was there too, standing next to Donna. Dick had no idea how he hadn’t seen him before.

Dick frowned when he realized what Garth had said. Jason worried about him. You don’t want to keep being a burden. Dick couldn’t think about Jason worrying about him. Jason was safe. Damian was right here with Dick.

“Tim?” No one spoke. Damian’s soft breaths seemed to be the only sound in the room. The Titans were exchanging frantic glances over Dick’s head. Had Tim been hurt? No. They would have told him if Tim was hurt.

Doctor Quinzel...Dick had killed her. He could remember the murder so clearly. He’d gotten his hand free and she’d gotten too close. Probably because Dick had been begging her to let Jason go...Tim and Damian they’d been there hadn’t they. Tim would have seen all the blood…. Dick glanced over himself shocked to see he wasn’t covered in her blood. Tim and Damian would have seen the body.

Tim wasn’t going to be here. Dick let him down again.

“We think he’s at the Tower.” Donna sat on the edge of the bed and leaned forward to put her hand on Dick’s. Dick knew he shouldn’t accept the comfort...not after everything he’d done.

“I called Cassie to see if she knew where he was. While she didn’t say he was there. She implied rather heavily. He is fine. They’re all fine.” Donna nodded to Damian with a smile. “You’re the one who got hurt this time.” Other than Harley Quinn.

“Why are you here?” The old team showing up like this, didn’t happen unless someone had died. Then someone had, hadn’t they? Were they here to arrest him? Dick didn’t think that was right. Wally was the only other person here who cared Dick had...had murdered.

“I was “advising” Garth about a group of weapons smugglers who were trafficking across Atlantean waters when I got the craziest call from Jason.” Garth nodded in agreement to Roy’s statement.

“We were mostly able to figure out the whole you getting gassed and being carried off by ‘new’ orderlies. We couldn’t make out most of it because Jason was freaking out.”

“Yes. He was disturbed your younger brothers were going to engage with this Joker.” Garth added. The Joker toxin, of course, Jason would have thought Dick had been taken by the Joker. Being locked up helpless in a cell while Robin was rushing off to deal with the Joker, had to have set off all of Jason’s triggers. Dick should have paid more attention to the speakers.

“As you can imagine we weren’t anywhere near Gotham. So we called Wally.”  
“I was over at Donna’s picking up the twins. Date night. Anyway, minutes later I’m in Arkham trying to stop Robin from stabbing Harley Quinn. You were having a heart-attack –”

Dick cut Wally off because he wasn’t making any sense. “Why would he… She was already dead. I killed her.” Mutilating corpses was an act Dick could see Damian taking, just stabbing one seemed too tame for Damian’s taste in vengeance. Maybe…maybe Wally had meant hacking up Harley Quinn. After...after what Dick had done he wasn’t going to have any standing telling Damian not to do those types of things. He wasn’t going to be around to tell Damian not to do those things. They probably wouldn’t let him near Jason if they both ended up in Arkham, that was probably for Jason’s good.

“She was alive, Dick. Not consciousness by the time I got there. From what Tim...reported? Is that what you guys call that? You just knocked her out when you were trying to escape.” Hadn’t there been blood everywhere...no there had been shadows….

"Things would have been a lot easier if you had killed her.”

“Roy.” Wally snapped. “Other than Robin trying to skewer her, she was fine. You, however, weren’t.”

“I’m fine.” Dick was. He hadn’t killed anyone. He couldn’t tell if he was relieved or not. “Jason didn’t get hurt when I...got captured.”

“We think,” Garth glanced at Roy. “Jason was unresponsive after you...passed out. He didn’t contact Roy until your younger brothers arrived to check on him.”

Dick looked at Roy, who shrugged. “He’s tearing himself up pretty hard about it.”

Harley Quinn had used Dick against Jason. Dick didn’t even know why Jason had cared enough about him for Dick to be used against him. It didn’t matter. Dick should have been more involved in Jason’s sessions. If he’d done things better. Dick would have seen what was happening. Jason would have trusted Dick. Dick should have introduced Jason to Roy and to Damian…maybe he should have gotten more of the hero community involved. There had to have been something.

“Dick.” Donna’s voice pulled Dick out of his spiral. “I know it doesn’t seem like it now. You did the best you could.”

“You did better than Arthur dealing with your wayward brother.” Garth placed a hand on Dick’s shoulder. That wasn’t saying much because Ocean Master and Aquaman didn’t have Dick and Jason’s history. Still...still it was nice to hear, and to be here with the team.

“Jason didn’t tell me either.” Roy added for the first time in the conversation, Roy sounded frustrated. He and Dick would have to talk about the Jason situation in private. Roy probably saved Jason. They didn’t need to have a fight and destroy Jason’s one, outside of the family, friendship.

“I wouldn’t have told you either.” Wally bumped shoulders with Roy. “Don’t beat yourself up. Everyone gets fooled by masquerading super-villains.”

Dick swallowed. He didn’t deserve them. “Thanks.” Dick tried to say more.

“Next time call us.” Donna hugged Dick. Followed by Garth, at somepoint, Roy and Wally had migrated over to Donna’s side of the bed and they were somehow mixed into the hug. For a brief instant it felt like they were all kids again and the world was a brighter place than it was. Dick felt calm.

“So that’s what happens during Titan meetups. I can see why Bruce didn’t approve.” Jason. Everyone pulled back and there was Jason at the door. He didn’t look terrible. Jason clearly hadn’t been sleeping but the rest of him looked alright, psychically at least.

“Jealous.” Roy smirked.

“This is tame.” Garth deadpanned.

“We usually prefer to be in chains.” Donna added innocently.

Wally snickered. “Now that traumatizing the last of the kids is out of the way, I’m going to have to leave you. Unlike some of you I have to work a nine to five.”

The rest of the team made their excuses. Then all that remained was Dick, Jason, and Damian. Dick...Dick didn’t know how this was going to play out. He didn’t want to think about how this was going to play out.

“We both know you’re awake.” Jason announced after the last of the Titans left.

Damian huffed before sitting up to glare at Jason. Dick hadn’t even realized Damian had been awake. Of course, he would have been awake. Damian would have never left himself open like that. “You shouldn’t have taken your time reminiscing with the authorities. What you saw was a taste of the atrocities I had to endure.”

“You were the one who wanted to make sure Dick was guarded twenty-four-seven. I remember saying the Titans could handle Dick and then telling you to go to bed.” Jason gave Damian a pointed look. To Dick’s surprise Damian got off the bed without hesitation. “I’ve seen Mother’s files on the Titans. I wouldn’t trust them not to hand Dick over to a villain. Let alone protect Dick from them.”

Dick wanted to say he wasn’t the one needing protecting, but even he knew that was a lie.

Damian turned to face Dick. “I give you my word. I will never allow this to happen again.” Without another word Damian marched out of the room, stopping to give Jason a final glare. Dick wondered what Damian could have meant by that. That Damian wasn’t going to sleep with Dick again, Dick would be glad of that. When Dick had been a kid wanting to go to Bruce with nightmares. Bruce had given Dick a long and involved lecture on why that was a bad idea, giving Dick all sorts of nightmares for months afterwards.  
The way Damian had made the declaration… Dick had a feeling Damian had meant the capture. Telling Damian that this was going to happen again and again wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience.

Jason ran a hand through his hair, looking everywhere in the room that wasn’t at Dick. Dick, for his part, couldn’t figure out what he needed to say to fix any of this. He didn’t even know why Jason was with him.

Jason breathed out. “I was fine. The Joker… She didn’t start with the laughter until a week ago. The sessions were nothing compared to the League.”

Dick nodded realizing he’d started trembling, at least, Jason was far enough away that he couldn’t see it. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice.”

Jason shrugged, still not looking at Dick. “You were a little busy. Trust me. I was mostly bored. Your friends have terrible taste in books.”

“Not everyone is a literary snob.” Dick teased. Jason snickered before stealing a glance at Dick. “I was fine. I don’t – don’t,” Jason growled. “I shouldn’t have frozen up like that. It was a rookie mistake.”

“So was crushing the device.” The actions weren’t comparable. Jason was a miss and Dick just hadn’t been sleeping enough. Dick should have known better. Dick would say what Jason needed to hear.

“Yeah,” Jason relaxed a bit, “Bruce wouldn’t have grounded both of us.”

Dick swallowed. “Next time –“He had no right to request what he was about to request. He had to. This couldn’t happen again. Next time it could be Damian and Tim against the Joker. “Tell me. Even if you’ve got it handled, you can tell me.”

Jason looked at him. While Jason’s face was blank, Dick knew he had pushed too far. There wasn’t any coming back from this. Maybe if he could get things worked out with Roy –

“Like you with your friends.” Dick blinked with surprise, because Jason wasn’t saying it like an accusation. Jason was toneless but not that kind of toneless.

Dick wanted to say it wasn’t the same. He needed to have Jason trust him.

“I'll tell Roy, if I have a problem.” It almost hurt to say that. Especially, since Dick knew Roy had put Jason up to this. “And you’ll tell me what’s going on with you.”

Jason examined Dick for a long time. Dick wasn’t not telling the truth. If he was having a problem, he would tell Roy. He could promise that. Now was it what Roy wanted Dick to promise Jason. Dick doubted that.

“I would prefer you tell Donna or Wally. Roy isn’t that reliable.” Jason’s look of relief looked shockingly like Bruce’s. “I would know. I keep calling him and you keep ending up on an IV.”

Dick shrugged. “Roy’s got the worse timing.”

“Not if it’s for Lian’s school events.” Jason started walking over to Dick’s bed. Dick forced himself to breath. Things working out, or as close to working out as Dick could have hoped for, wasn’t what he had expected.

“You can’t be late for everything.” Dick tried not to tense as Jason sat down on the bed beside him, like nothing had happened.

“Before we were interrupted I remember you were going to tell me a story about Bruce and Zatanna’s fishnet.”

Dick took a breath. He could do this. They could do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it!
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos!!!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed HuiLian!

**Author's Note:**

> Good evening/morning! I've done my best to use both of your prompts for this: Dick being a big brother and Dick with the fabulous five for this. I also ended up using your fic < https://archiveofourown.org/works/12521220 >Monsters Don't Bite/a >.  
> I hope you enjoy. Stay tone for Donna tomorrow!


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